


Rags to Ring Side

by christoria03, Fairywings81 (christoria03)



Series: The Christoria Chronicles [1]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: F/M, Multi, Roba Brothers, original concept
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-03
Updated: 2016-10-06
Packaged: 2018-05-24 10:36:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6150826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/christoria03/pseuds/christoria03, https://archiveofourown.org/users/christoria03/pseuds/Fairywings81
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Espa Roba and his brothers have run the Sykesville Carnival since after the untimely death of his childhood best friend. When an orphanage runaway is found hiding within an attraction, Espa must make a difficult decision that will change their lives forever.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Runaway

**Author's Note:**

> I have been especially fond of Espa Roba and his brothers for a long time now. I developed the four younger brothers, and their back story from the bits and pieces we were given during their two episode arc. Please do not use the things you see here without permission from me. These guys are my babies. 
> 
> Yu gi oh and the Roba name, and setting are all property of their respective owners. First names of Espa's brothers, personalities and back story of the Robas are mine as is Victoria Carter. I make no profit from this work of fanfiction.

Espa Roba was all about being vigilant. It came from having to be a parent at the age of 13. He’d been wrangling his four rambunctious brothers so long it had had a lasting effect on him. So it was no surprise this morning that he took in everything that was happening around his carnival. When the bus arrived in the parking lot, he and his second in command, Jonathan, were waiting. “I’m glad we agreed to do this, aren’t you? It’s a good way to give back.”

“Definitely.” He glanced over as Christien wandered over with their two youngest brothers. Andrew had his hand firmly in Christien’s while Ej was snuggled comfortably in his harness on Christien’s back. “You might make some friends here.” He said quietly to his brother. 

“Maybe.” Christien said. His brother didn’t talk much to others outside of the family. The only time he really came alive was watching Espa duel, or when Mokuba Kaiba came to visit with Jonathan. 

Espa had recently become increasingly concerned about his middle brother’s state, and hoped that Jonathan’s prediction of him finding a friend during this event would be true. Espa moved to the turnstile to take the tickets from the caregivers as the children began to stream in. He heard his brothers welcome them pleasantly, and was very proud. “Enjoy, everyone.” He said as the last of the busload came through the gates. He turned to survey things. Jonathan was giving directions to someone, and Christien was quietly watching everyone as Andrew played at his feet, and Ej squealed happily with all the excitement. Espa wandered over. “Hey. Let me take the little guys for a while. It’s time for their n-a-p-s.” 

“Sure, big brother.” Christien gently unfastened the harness, and then helped Espa re-adjust it on to his back. “You don’t have to worry about me so much.” He added.

Espa smirked to himself. “Of course I do, Christien. You’re my little brother.” He ruffled Christien’s hair a bit before reaching down to take Andrew’s hand. “You’ll find someone, I’m sure.” 

“Maybe.” Christien repeated. He was suddenly watching someone very intently. 

Espa followed his gaze and saw that it was a girl with brown hair and she was trying to climb over the fence! “Oh no!” He started to go forward to stop her.

“I’ll go.” Christien said. “You can be...overbearing sometimes.” 

“Overbearing?” Espa chuckled softly at how easily Christien used big words out of the blue. “Alright. But if you can’t convince her to get down, get one of the teachers’ attention.” Espa watched Christien casually wander over to the fence before he turned and headed to the trailers where he and his brothers stayed to try and get his youngest brothers down for their naps.

* * *

Christien watched as the girl struggled to put her leg over the side of the fence. She muttered in frustration and then tried to reposition herself. “There’s an easier way to get over.” He said quietly.

The girl turned and eyed him with big brown eyes. “Go away.” She said in a quiet, firm voice. 

“Can’t do that. You’re going to damage our property climbing like that.” Christien said. He stuffed his hands in his pocket and watched to see how she’d react to that bit of information. “Big Brother won’t like it if you mess things up.”

“So what? I’ll be long gone before anyone realizes it’s damaged except maybe you.”

Christien raised an eyebrow at that. This girl was crazy. It reminded him the crazy things he and his elder brother Jonathan did with Mokuba Kaiba. “Please come down. Whatever you’re upset about, we can talk about it, ‘kay?” 

“You don’t even know me.” She said. But Christien noticed she was hesitating in her movements to get across the fence now. “Who are you?” 

“I’m Christien Roba. My brother Espa owns the carnival.” Christien dared to move a little closer, but stopped advancing as she backed up. “It’s lame.” She said. “I’m Victoria. But don’t even think of calling me Vicki. It’s Tori for short.” 

“Nice to meet you.” Christien chose to ignore her comment about the carnival. Judging by her demeanor, she was in her early teens, maybe having just turned thirteen. “Where are you planning to run off to, anyway?” He asked. 

“I don’t know. Anywhere but here. I’m tired of being an orphan.” 

Christien nodded. “I get it. My brothers and I are kinda orphans ourselves. Espa kept us together and then got legal custody of the four of us when he turned eighteen.” 

Victoria studied him, and then to his surprise, jumped down off the fence, landing gracefully on her feet without even tipping over. “I can’t go back to that place. It’s awful there.” She said quietly. 

Christien frowned. Was she indirectly asking for his help? What could he possibly do to help? He knew that some orphanages could be bad. Mokuba Kaiba and his brother Seto hadn’t been in one of those types, but Mokuba never liked to be talked about it anyway. He and his own brothers had been in a group home before, too. “What can I do to help?” He asked quietly. 

“Is there some place I can hide here in the carnival? Just until they leave and then I can just find my own way.” 

Christien looked around. “Maybe. Follow me.” He led her through the large crowd of carnival goers that was growing by the second. “If my brother finds out about this, he’s going to be really upset.” He began. “But I can see your point, maybe. We’ve dealt with something like that before. They’re no fun.” 

Victoria didn’t reply and when Christien glanced over his shoulder to see if she was still following him, he was surprised to see her only inches from him. “I… can’t ever be adopted, Christien. I’m a freak.” 

Christien paused as he was getting to where he was going. He returned towards her again, and saw that she was in tears. He moved to stand in front of her. “I don’t think you are. You’re… well… you’re pretty.” 

Victoria blinked her tears away, and looked at him. “You don’t know what you’re saying…” 

“I know a pretty girl when I see one.” Christien said simply. He went to his knees in the grass, and gently pulled her down in front of him. “You can tell me.” He said quietly. “I don’t have anyone I can tell secrets to anyway.” 

Victoria tilted her head at him. “Why not? Don’t you have brothers?” 

“yeah, but they’re just brothers. I mean, of course I love them, but… sometimes I really want my own friends.” And that was what he wanted to convey to her. He could feel that she was different from the others. But he wasn’t sure what was different just yet. “So you can trust me with anything, I promise.” 

Victoria was quiet for a long time, gazing around. Inadvertently, Christien had led her back towards where the family lived when they weren’t running the carnival. “Where are we?” 

“Oh this is where me and my brothers live in the off hours.” Christien said. “I tell you what. I’ll tell you a secret, and then you can tell me yours. That way we have to hold each other accountable.” 

Victoria chewed her lower lip for a moment, then dropped her gaze. “You might not be too into me if I tell you mine.” She said in almost a whisper. 

Christien instinctively took her hand. Jonathan and Espa did that when he was upset.He felt her stiffen, but she didn’t pull away. “My secret is that I’m psychic.” He said when she looked up at him again. “Not just in the I can read your mind way, either.” he added.

“Are you reading my mind now?” Victoria wanted to know. She still hadn’t pulled her hand free, but he could feel her mood shift to near panic. 

“No. It doesn’t work like that with me yet. I can’t turn it on and off. My brothers can.” Christien knew he’d be in trouble with Espa for outing them, but at least he’d managed to get Victoria to listen to him, and stay there without having to get an adult involved. 

“I’m….Me too.” Victoria said. “I mean, I’ve just got the mind reading thing. If I have anything else, it hasn’t happened yet.” 

Now it was Christien’s turn to stare. “You’re psychic? Is that why you don’t have any friends?” 

“I get too close, and all these unwanted thoughts pour from their heads to mine.” Victoria explained. She stood as one of the care workers came by. 

“Victoria! There you are. You’re supposed to be staying with Geneve. Didn’t we talk about the buddy system on the bus, young lady?”

“It’s alright. I was with her.” Christien said. He stood and moved next to her. “She wasn’t bothering anything.”

“We have rules for a reason, young lady. Now you come with me, and let the carnie folks do their jobs.” The care worker acted as though Christien hadn’t even spoken. As she led Victoria away from him, Christien folded his arms, scowling. He made a mental note to ask Mokuba about this particular orphanage. He didn’t want this to be the last time he heard from Victoria.


	2. Stowaway

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christien finds Victoria hiding in the House of Mirrors, and now decisions must be made.

Victoria was more than a little annoyed at having been taken away from Christien Roba. For the first time in a long time, she’d felt like someone would understand what she was dealing with. She spent the remainder of the day being watched by Mabel, and hand held by Geneve. She didn’t have a terrible time. She’d liked a lot of the rides they’d gone on. The fun house had been fun, too. 

As the day was winding down, the thought of having to go back to the teen room at the group home made her stomach hurt so bad she had to excuse herself to the bathroom more than once to throw up. She knew that the following day was when Mokuba Kaiba came to visit. Those were her only good days. She and Mokuba had more than a couple of things in common despite the age difference. But now she really didn’t want to even be there for that. She wanted to stay there, with Christien Roba, who had, despite foiling her escape, shown a real, and genuine kindness that Victoria wasn’t used to from anyone. There was that, and the fact that now someone shared her secret. 

She stayed in the bathroom a lot longer than she really needed to. Victoria was plotting an escape. This time she wouldn’t go over the fence and damage it. Instead she would hide within one of their attractions until the coast was clear, then jump the turnstiles. She stiffened hearing Mabel knock on the door. “Victoria, we’re loading the bus. It’s time to go, come on.” 

“I can’t move right now… you don’t want me to stink up the bus, do you?” Victoria called out, careful to steady her voice. She’d learned a long time ago that these caregivers got off on making the children afraid of them. She wasn’t going to be victim anymore. She had to be strong despite how really afraid she was becoming as her plan was closer to fruition. She didn’t get a reply from Mabel. Then the door opened and she heard Geneve’s small voice. 

”Come on, Victoria. You’re holding the whole bus up.” 

”Just go without me. I’ll find my own way back.” Victoria said. She disliked Geneve being in the bathroom with her. Even though she was in a closed bathroom stall, it still felt like a huge violation of privacy. 

“You’re running away again! You’re going to get into trouble again.” 

“Please just go…” Victoria begged. After another few minutes, she heard the door open and close. Then, a few minutes later, the bus’ engine revved. She slid against the back of the stall door to the floor, and pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her face on them. She had managed to get away again. This time, though, she wasn’t going to go back without a real fight. 

* * *

Christien was glad when the last patron of the day walked out the gates. Jonathan locked them behind the family and they all sighed. “Great opening day.” Christien said. 

“Very good day.” Espa agreed. “Now to clean up and get things ready for tomorrow. His brother divided up the chores as he always did, keeping Andrew and Ej with him. “You want the House of Mirrors, Chris?” He asked. 

“Sure.” Christien didn’t wait to be asked for more chores. He was already tired, and his mind was still filled with the notion that there was a child out there like him, who didn’t know how to deal with her psychic power. Not only that, she was someone he felt needed protecting from the world. They way she had spoken to him wreaked of being bullied or picked on. 

Christien climbed the stairs of the house of mirrors with the sanitizing spray and a rag and began wiping down all the hand rails and walls to make sure that anything that could have possibly been touched by the patrons of the carnival. It was how they kept their customers from getting sick day in and day out. He was just heading up to the second floor of the mirror maze when he heard rustling from somewhere on the other side of the structure. He paused to listen. “Hello?” He called out. His voice echoed in the barren structure. The rustling stopped, and he started wiping down the railing again. 

Christien heard footsteps next, and he whirled around, trying to get a good sense of where the noise was coming from. “Whose there?!” He called out again. To his dismay, his voice was shaking a bit. 

”It’s just me.” A soft voice said. Christien glanced up as one of the mirrored doors slid open and Victoria stepped out, looking sheepish. “Sorry if I scared you.” 

“Victoria… what are you doing here? Your bus left hours ago!” 

“I know.” She leaned against the railing Christien had just wiped down. “I didn’t want to go back. I wanted to stay here.” 

Christien frowned. He understood where she was coming from me but he knew that Espa wouldn’t be thrilled that someone had stowed away on their property. “This is private property, you know.” He began. “Come on. You can’t stay here.” 

Victoria hesitated. “Your brothers…” She began. 

“Let me worry about them.” Christien said. He was dumbfounded by the tone in his voice. Since when had he been the one to take charge? He was much more the follower than the leader. He held out his hand. “Come on. It’s supposed to get cold tonight.” 

Victoria moved closer and Christien grabbed her by the wrist firmly, but not hard enough to hurt her. She flinched, probably out of habit. “Christien, please….He’ll just call my social worker…” 

“It’s too cold to stay out here overnight.” Christien said again, starting to lead her out of the fun house. As they reached the lower level, he heard Jonathan and Andrew outside. He took a breath and let it out. “Let me do the talking.” He said as they stepped outside. He let go of Victoria’s wrist and was surprised, and relieved when she didn’t take off. Instead she moved closer to him as Jonathan suddenly realized he was there. 

“Hey. Espa went to get our dinner. He wanted me to make sure that everything was alright because you don’t normally take that long to-” Jonathan paused, seeming to finally notice Victoria. “Who’s this?” 

“This is Victoria. She’s…” Christien realized he didn’t have an explanation for her yet. He turned to his new friend, and raised an eyebrow in question. “Should I?” He asked. 

Victoria shrugged. “I guess.” 

“She’s like us. She came in with that bus load of kids from the orphanage.” 

“What are you still doing here? They’re probably looking for you right now!” Jonathan said. He moved to stand directly in front of her. “You can’t stay here. Espa will never go for it. He can barely manage with us.” 

Victoria didn’t react to Jonathan’s words. Instead, she put her hand in Christien’s and squeezed it. She just studied the two of them. “I wasn’t planning to stay here. I was going to jump the turnstiles when you guys left…” 

“And go where?” Jonathan asked. His eyes softened. “Come on inside. It’s getting cold. We’ll just explain things to Espa when he gets back, alright?” 

Christien was pretty sure he knew how that conversation was going to go. Espa would be furious for them inviting a stranger into their private trailer, then he’d either call Child Protective Services, or get the name of her social worker and the phone number out of Victoria. But Jonathan had a point. It was getting too cold too quickly to stand out there and debate. “Maybe I even have a hoodie you can wear if you’re getting cold.” He added to Victoria as he started to follow Jonathan and Andrew towards the “Carnie Village”. 

“You guys don’t have to do anything for me. I swear I can take care of myself.” 

“That may be, but you’re not going out there tonight. That’s crazy talk.” Christien said smoothly. 

”Yeah, especially when we can easily accommodate you.” Jonathan put in as he held the door open. “Bro, we’ve got a dinner guest.” He announced loudly. It was a warning for Christien and Victoria to prepare to be confronted by Espa. 

“Oh no, Jonathan. I told you no pets!” Espa groaned. Then he came into view, and stopped short, seeing Victoria. “What’s all this?” He asked now, raising an eyebrow at Christien. 

Christien stepped in front of Victoria, and cleared his throat. “This is Tori. She’s…” 

“She was hiding in the house of mirrors when her bus left.” Jonathan supplied. He turned to Victoria. “Come on, the bathroom’s this way.” He led the way through their small trailer and towards the back to the bathroom. 

“Why did you bring her here? You know I can’t afford anymore mouths, Christien. I can barely afford us.” Espa frowned, crossing his arms. “I don’t want to be cold or heartless, but those are the facts of the matter.” 

Christien looked at the floor, tracing the yellowing tile pattern with his foot. This trailer had once belonged to his parents before Espa was born. He barely remembered his mother and father now. Their memories were much clearer when he slept. “She’s like us, Espa. And she was being bullied.” 

“Like us...how?” Espa asked now. He glanced up as Jonathan and Victoria came back into the small living area. 

Christien sighed softly. “She’s psychic, Bro. Just like us.” Espa pinched the bridge of his nose. He looked as though he was going to explode. But Christien wasn’t sure if he was more upset that he’d brought outsider to their trailer or that he’d told her about their secret. He had a bad feeling it was both. “I’m sorry, Espa. I… I just wanted to help her.” 

“Yes, well, we can’t undo it now, can we?” Espa turned to Victoria then. “You’re not putting me in the best position, you realize.” He told her. 

Victoria was quiet for a long moment, holding Espa’s gaze. “I’ll just go back out and leave. You don’t need to worry about me.” She said in a steady voice. 

Espa frowned. “Stop that. It’s not nice to force thoughts into people’s heads like that.” 

Victoria jumped a mile, and Christien caught her before she could fall backwards. “How…?” She asked Espa. 

“That’s for me to know. Now all of you get washed up. Jonathan, go and bring the picnic table around from back. It will be less crowded Christien, go and help him.” 

“Come on, Tori.” Christien started to take her hand to lead her out of the trailer. 

“No, she stays here. I need to talk to her.” Espa said, clapping a hand down on her shoulder. 

Victoria looked like she was ready to bolt. Christien saw her chest rising and falling quickly. “I can go…” She said again, her voice soft. “You don’t have to worry about me.” She repeated the same thing she said before. 

Espa flinched, but didn’t let go of her shoulder. “I said stop that!” He said more firmly. “Jon, Chris, go on. take your brothers with you.” 

Christien frowned, but nodded as Jonathan came over with their youngest brothers in tow. “It’s okay, Tori. He won’t hurt you.” He said. 

“Of course not.” Espa said. “I just want to talk, privately.” He added for his brothers’ benefits. They were still stalling. “Go.” He said again to them. 

Christien sighed deeply, and followed Jonathan and the little guys out of the trailer. He closed the door with a thud, a note to let his eldest brother know he was not happy about being dismissed.


	3. Trial Period?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Espa's got a plan for Victoria, but he still doesn't want Christien getting overly attached to her. Little does he know that Christien is already too attached.

Ch. 3

Espa sighed, letting go of their visitor’s shoulder when he was sure that his brothers were otherwise occupied. He moved into the kitchenette to put the tea kettle on. “Tell me about yourself.” He said to her. 

Victoria moved to sit down in a vacant chair. “I’m 12 and a half...I think.” 

“And you’re psychic.” Espa turned to face her again. “Any training?” When she shook her head, Espa sighed. “I didn’t think so. Look, you can stay here for a night. But tomorrow, we’re calling...who’s your social worker?” 

“Please don’t make me go back…” Victoria said. 

“What’s their name?” Espa asked again, feeling his patience wearing thin. He felt for the girl, yes. But she wasn’t his responsibility. He had four other children that he needed to take care of. 

Victoria scowled. “Rex Raptor. He just likes me to call him Rex, though.” 

Espa nodded quietly. “He never did like formalities….” He grabbed the two pizzas he’d brought from town, and went outside. He was surprised when Victoria followed him on her own. “Sit down guys. Dinner’s later than planned. Sorry about that.” He said pleasantly to his brothers. He noted how quickly Christien got up and went over to Victoria. ~Easy, Chris. It was just a discussion, nothing more, I promise.~ He sent to his brother telepathically. “Come on, now. Food’s going to get cold.” He turned to go back inside, remembering Ej’s high chair, and that he would need to cut up the younger kids’ food so they could eat it easier. When he came back out; however, he found that Victoria had already broken up portions, and had Ej in her lap while he ate happily. He raised an eyebrow at that as he set the highchair down. “C’mere, Ej. You should let our guest eat in peace.” He told his littlest brother. 

“He’s alright.” Victoria said softly. She reached around the baby and took her piece of pizza. “I haven’t had pizza in over two years…” She remarked. 

“Really?” Christien gave her a dubious look. “What do they feed you in those places, anyway?” He asked. 

“Sandwiches mostly. Peanut butter and jelly.” Victoria made a face. “I usually scrape all my jelly off. So I end up with half a sandwich most of the time.” 

Christien frowned deeply. “We must have gotten lucky.” He told Jonathan. 

“If you want to look at it like that, sure.” Jonathan said quietly. ~Espa, what are you going to do about this?~ He asked his brother silently. 

~The right thing. I’ll be calling Rex in the morning. He’s her social worker.~ Espa replied, taking a piece of pizza for himself. “Guys, after we eat, I want you two let me see your homework, and Victoria… if you’re so inclined, would you mind helping me get the little guys ready for bed?” Espa already had an idea formulating, but he wasn’t going to admit out loud to his brothers. It was entirely possible that His plan wouldn’t work once he spoke to Rex. He still didn’t have a good handle on the state system worked with orphans. 

Victoria nodded quietly. She got up and gently set Ej in his high chair and gave him the crust to chew on. She scooted her chair back in. “It’s the least I could do, after trespassing.” She said after a minute. 

“We’ll deal with that later.” Espa told her. The rest of dinner was a quiet affair, giving Espa some peace that he didn’t know he’d needed. Soon, Jonathan and Christien were clearing things away. Without a word, Victoria got up to help them. He listened to the small snatches of conversation he could catch between Christien and Victoria. 

“Maybe he’ll warm up to you overnight…” Christien suggested. 

“Doubtful. He looks at me the same way potential parents have for years. I shouldn’t have let you talk me into this.” Victoria returned to the table to clean up Ej’s high chair. Almost as if she was aware of the fact Espa may have heard her, she took an extra effort not to make eye contact with him. “Come on, Ej. Andrew, let’s go get ready for bed…” 

Espa was only mildly surprised when his brothers followed Victoria right into the trailer. He heard Jonathan show her how the sink worked. When his brother came out to take care of the table, he raised an eyebrow. “She’s a natural with them, huh? They don’t normally go with anyone but us.” 

“I don’t know, Espa. I think Victoria might be good for us.” Jonathan said. “I mean, I know we can’t afford to have someone else in the household, but what if you hired her to work for you?” 

“If I can’t afford to take care of her, what makes you think I can afford to pay her to take care of them?” Espa asked. “As I said, I’ll be calling Rex in the morning to come get her.” 

“Its your decision.” Jonathan said in a tone that conveyed how against the choice he was. “I still think we could find a way to make this work, Bro. I’ve never seen Christien so engaged in my life.” As if on cue, there was squealing from the bathroom window. 

“Get hims, Towi!” Ej crowed. 

Espa sighed softly. This time, it was contentment. His brothers were usually good sports about things, but this was the first time in a very long time that he’d seen his youngest three brothers so excited. “I wish there was more I could do, Jon… maybe Rex will have some ideas.” 

Jonathan sighed. His was probably in frustration at being unable to help. He went back inside and Espa heard him try and reign in the chaos. 

In a few minutes, the trailer was quiet, and then he heard Victoria singing. Her voice, singing completely in tune, floated out the window to Espa as verses from a long ago forgotten song, sung by his mother, reached his ears. Jonathan an Christien came back out of the trailer, and started to move the table. “Wait.” Espa said quietly. “I’m listening to her.” 

“What’s she singing, Espa?” Jonathan asked. 

“It’s from a musical, The Sound of Music.” Espa said quietly. He glanced up as the singing stopped, and Victoria wandered back outside. “Thank you for your help, Victoria.” He said kindly. He realized he might have come off hard on the girl. “You have a nice singing voice.” 

“That’s what all the caretakers say, too. They like me to come sing to the little kids sometimes in their rooms.” Victoria held up a deck then. “I found these in Andrew’s bed. I didn’t want them to get messed up.” 

“Oh. Those are mine.” Christien quickly took his deck from her and gently pocketed them in his shorts. “They’re duel monsters cards. Ever played?” 

“Nah. I don’t do card games.” Victoria said. 

“Wait, what? You don’t “do” card games? What does that even mean?” Christien demanded. 

For a long minute, Victoria didn’t say anything. Then she picked up an empty pizza box. “See this pizza box? My suitcase is made of the same material. And it’s tinier than this. I don’t have the room to pack toys and games. So. I just decided I didn’t need them.” 

Christien fell silent, the look of indignation replaced with one of pity. “Do you… get moved a lot?” He asked softly. 

Espa stood from his chair. “That’s enough questions, Christien. We shouldn’t pry.” He turned to Victoria then. “You can sleep on the couch in the living room. I’ll have Jonathan make it up for you, okay? Guys, after that’s done, homework review then bed. We have an early day tomorrow.” 

“Yes brother.” They said in unison. Jonathan turned to Victoria. “Come on. I’ll get you settled, okay?” 

“Okay.” She followed Jonathan into the trailer. 

Espa stopped Christien before he could follow suit. “This is just for tonight, Christien. I don’t want any of you getting attached to her. Understand?” 

“You’re talking about her like she’s a stray dog.” Christien scowled. “As for attached…” He looked at the ground. “Too late.” 

“I see.” Espa sighed softly. “Christien, you don’t want to get mixed up with this girl. She’s got one million problems and more. We have enough trouble ourselves.” 

“But she’s a nice girl, Espa. She… I don’t know. She needs someone to take care of her, and love her, and protect her. I sense it.” 

“Christien, you’re too young to understand what you’re feeling right now, bro. You’re fourteen. Give it a couple of years before you start “feeling” things like that.” Espa said. Well, at least if things went Christien’s way, no one could say he didn’t try. 

“Ugh! Espa, it isn’t even like that! You know how… you know, you got all protective of us? That’s what I’m talking about. She needs that. If you send her back to the system, she’ll be bullied again, and it’s not fair. Just because she has something that she can’t control…” 

“Christien, we’re not talking about this anymore. I told you my decision, and I expect you to respect it. Now, please go bring me your homework so I can sign things that may need to be signed. Tell Jonathan to do the same for his and Andrew’s.” Christien scowled, but he turned and went inside. Espa was thankful he didn’t slam the door with his attitude. They didn’t need to wake the little ones. Ra help me. He thought to himself as he got ready to go over their homework. Espa couldn’t wait to get a hold of Rex in the morning, and have Victoria out of there.


	4. On Trial

When he first woke up to the sound of crying, Christien thought it was Andrew. Since Jonathan shared a much smaller room with their five-year-old brother, Christien merely rolled over and tried to go back to sleep. But as he began to wake up more, he realized it wasn’t a young boy’s cries. It was a girl’s. Then it hit him. Victoria. If she kept crying like that, she’d surely wake Espa. Groggily, he climbed out of his bed, and after checking to see if Ej was stirring at all, he wandered out of his room, lightly shutting the door. He tip toed to the couch, and what he saw made him concerned. 

Victoria was thrashing about wildly, crying so hard that Christien wasn’t sure she was even breathing right. Gently, Christien reached out and rubbed her back. “Tori…?” He said softly. He knew from experience (his own) that waking up someone from a nightmare was not always the best thing to do. When one of her arms flailed, almost knocking over a lamp, Christien quickly grabbed it before it could crash to the floor, but he was unsuccessful in catching a whole stack of coasters before they fell. 

“What in the world…?” Espa’s voice was quiet, but his tone was one of irritation. 

“Nightmare.” Christien said sleepily. He turned back to Victoria. “Tori… shh… it’s okay…” He said, rubbing her back gently. 

Christien heard Espa groan, and then the sound of a kitchen chair scraping the rugged tiled floor. Then his brother called out, “I’m putting on a pot of tea in case she wakes up.” 

“You’re a good person, Espa…” Christien responded. He was surprised that Victoria’s sobs had stopped for the most part when he started rubbing her back. He sat back suddenly as she started awake. 

She looked around wildly. She felt the soft blankets around her, and then her eyes fell on Christien. “Did… Did I wake you up?” She asked, tears forming before Christien could even open his mouth in reply. 

“It’s okay, Tori…” He said softly. “You were having a nightmare… I just wanted to make sure you were alright.” 

Victoria kicked the covers off herself, and got up, stretching. She went into the bathroom and when she came back out, she was wearing the clothes she’d been wearing when Christien had first encountered. “I gotta go.” She said to him. 

“Go where? In the middle of the night?” Christien asked, raising an eyebrow. He moved to block her path to the door then as she just rolled her eyes and headed for the exit. “Victoria, stop…” He was almost thankful when Espa came into the living room with three mugs of tea. “Look, Espa’s made tea for you and everything. No one’s mad at you. You don’t…” He looked at Espa. Silently, Espa nodded. “You don’t have to run anymore. You… can stay here, with us.” 

“Until you get tired of me, just like the others.” Victoria said. She glared at him when he wouldn’t move. “You can’t keep me here!” 

“At least lets get Rex on the phone before you take off…” Espa said. It surprised Christien to hear the concern in his eldest brother’s voice after his earlier proclamation about Victoria. 

“Rex won’t miss me, trust me. I’m probably his least favorite person in the world.” 

“I can’t imagine why.” Espa quipped pulling out his phone. Christien watched as Espa dialed his old friend. 

“Please, just let me leave!” Victoria said. She sounded miserable, and Christien really felt sorry for her. He knew that it was fear that was driving her, and nothing else. He knew that fear, too. It had been like that for five years before Espa could get custody of his brothers. They never knew when social services would show up and try and take them from Espa. 

“Yes, she’s right here in my living room, Rex. Do you want to talk to her?” Espa said. His brother listened to Rex’s answer and then nodded. “I’ll do what I can to keep her here until you get here in a bit. Thanks, Rex.” He hung up. “He’s on his way.” Espa said quietly. “He said you have nightmares when you haven’t had your night time medicine for anxiety disorder.” Espa narrowed his eyes on Victoria. “You never told us about that.” 

“Why should I? You’re not family.” Victoria spat. The girl had moved back to Espa’s couch and she was burying her face in her knees. Christien could see how she shuddered though, and it really hurt him to see her hurting like that. “Besides, those stupid drugs don’t work anyway.” 

“He said you’d say that.” Espa told her matter of factly. He held out a cup of tea to her. “Here. This is soothing. It’s good.” He added. “He’s not coming to take you back, by the way. He just wants to talk to you.” 

“Yeah right. He always comes to take me back.” 

“Not without my say so he won’t. He’s also bringing me some forms to fill out.” Espa was looking more resolved than Christien had seen him in a long while. “Christien you should go back to bed. We’re still opening on time tomorrow.” 

“Can he… stay up until Rex gets here? Please?” Victoria asked quietly. 

“I suppose.” Espa said. He leaned back in his chair, resting his head against it with his eyes closed. 

Christien helped Victoria sort out her blankets on the couch, and then when she laid down, he carefully tucked her in. “You want me to wake you up when Rex gets here?” He asked her softly. 

“Yeah. Please.” Victoria rolled over, facing the couch cushions. After a few moments, Christien heard her breathing ease, signaling she was asleep again. 

* * *

Victoria awoke with a start and looked around. She found Espa Roba, and his younger brother sitting there next to the couch. Her social worker, Rex Raptor was standing next to them. She immediately averted her eyes, knowing a lecture was coming. “Hey.” She said softly. 

“Hey yourself.” Rex said. “You promised me you wouldn’t run anymore.” 

“They sabotaged my room, Rex. I wasn’t even in the room, and they destroyed it. I was put in the closet for hours for that.” 

“Yes, well…” Rex folded his arms. “You put me in a bad position pulling this crap.” He sighed then. “Look, Espa and I have been talking, and we decided that you shouldn’t get rewarded for running away.” 

Victoria swallowed hard, looking at her lap. This was it. She was probably going to be put back into the group home for troubled children. She felt Rex move to sit next to her on the couch. “You can send me back there if you have to…” She said without looking at her social worker. 

“I don’t think you need anymore of that. Espa and I’ve decided that your trespassing shouldn’t go unpunished, though. “So. I talked to my boss, and I will be taking temporary guardianship of you. You will remain here with Espa and his brothers, and do everything they say to the letter. You can work off your trespassing.” 

Victoria looked over at Espa and Christien then. They had been joined by Jonathan who was holding the baby, and Andrew who was watching her curiously. The eldest Roba had his arms folded. “I won’t tolerate attitude. If you can’t perform or refuse to, we’ll call the whole thing off, and you can go back to where you came from. Understood?” 

“Yes, Espa. Thank you.” Victoria said. She turned to Rex. “Thanks…” 

“Don’t make me regret it.” Rex said as he stood. He handed Espa a folder thick with papers. “There’s information in there about legal adoption and things like that. I’m sure you might be familiar with some of it after what you went through for your brothers.” 

“Yeah.” Espa frowned. “Do you have anything else she can put on? I’d like to get that in the wash at some point.” He gestured to the wrinkled ensemble that Victoria had worn the day before. 

“Yeah. I’ll get you some things.” Rex turned to Victoria again. “This is basically your hail Mary, so don’t blow it.” 

Victoria nodded. She yawned, and rested her head on her pillow again. She was getting a massive headache again. She closed her eyes. “mmm…” 

“Another headache…” She felt Rex put a cool hand on her forehead. “That… was the other thing I wanted to talk to you about, Roba. Can we go somewhere more private?” 

“Sure. Christien, can you get Jon to get Ej changed? He’s probably wet from overnight. Then I think I have headache medicine in the bathroom…” 

The rest of whatever Espa said was lost on Victoria as the pain from her headache forced her into a deep, but restless sleep. 

* * *

“Well, you wanted privacy. What’s up?” Espa asked. Rex had been pacing for the last five minutes without saying a word. The eldest Roba was getting concerned about leaving things so unsupervised. 

“I gotta admit, I’m glad she chose your carnival, Roba. It might be good for her.” 

“You needed privacy to tell me that?” Espa raised an eyebrow. 

Rex sighed deeply. “She’s different than most of my usual cases.” 

“Because she’s psychic.” Espa said quietly. “I figured that out last night when she tried to use Suggestion on me to let her go.” 

“I know you and your brothers are…. it’s still a hard pill to swallow. But I’ve seen her go into some weird fits at random times, and she’s always talking about sensing things, and just knowing things… reminded me of you.” 

Espa raised an eyebrow at these revelations. “These untrained abilities could be causing her headaches. I’ll have to keep a close eye on her while I have her and see if I can reign some of them in.” This was a task the psychic was all to familiar with having had to do the same thing with both Jonathan and Christien. “And the anxiety?” He questioned now. 

“Mostly from her past. She comes from a violent home, and of course I’m sure you heard about the children in the group home.” Rex sighed softly. “I should get back. Just mail those papers to me, and I’ll see that they get filed properly as soon as possible. I’ll send Meghan over with some clothes, too. I’m sure the boys would like to see her and Kendra.” 

“Yeah, definitely. Thanks, Rex.” Espa sighed as his friend got in his car and pulled out. Then he went into the trailer to start organizing for their newest family member’s stay.


	5. Stay with Us

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victoria is having a lot of trouble adjusting to the idea of being a part of a family when Kendra, sister of Weevil Underwood breaks the news that there is a new production being put on at the Domino Theater for the summer.

”We should move to the house.” Espa said. Christien glanced up at him from his school work. “Really, it’d be more practical.” 

“Maybe.” Christien said. “When are the uncles coming to visit again?” 

“I don’t know. Uncle Cale said probably around Summer time. Not too long from now. It depends on how his practice is going, I guess.” Espa looked up as Jonathan and Victoria made their way towards his office building. “Hey, everything going okay?” 

“Sort of.” Jonathan said. 

“I reorganized the souvenier stand towards the back, and I gave the bathrooms a really good cleaning. Both girls and boys.” Victoria stated. 

“Good work.” Espa nodded in approval. “The little guys should be getting up from their naps soon, so why don’t you take a break and get yourself something to eat and drink?” Victoria merely nodded and turned heading towards the nearest vendor stand. “She hasn’t said much to me since Rex left.” 

“Not just you. She hasn’t said anything to me, either, other than to ask where to get the cleaning supplies from. She decided to clean on her own accord.” Jonathan reported. 

“Well, I can’t help her with her psychic problems if she’s going to give me teh silent treatment.” Espa said frowning. “Christien, why don’t you take a break, too, and go talk to her. Maybe you’ll have more luck than we’ve had.” 

Christien shrugged. “Maybe.” He put his pen down, and wandered over to the cart. 

Espa watched as he started talking to Victoria. The girl seemed to be listening, though not replying much. He frowned. “I may ask Uncle Cale to come out here a bit sooner.” 

“To work on Tori?” Jonathan guessed. 

“Maybe.” Espa wasn’t sure if she’d be open to talking to someone else from his family or not, but Victoria very obviously had some issues she needed to work on. He fell silent as the two came back. 

Christien was carrying her food for her. He set it all out neatly on the table next to them. "Here you go.” He said to her. Espa watched him expertly lead Victoria to the bench, and then help her sit. 

“Thanks.” Victoria smiled weakly at him as Christien grabbed his homework, and moved to the other side of the table to sit across from her. 

“I’m almost done with this worksheet, and then I can come help you a bit more.” He said. 

Victoria only nodded as her mouth was full of the pulled pork she’d gotten. She tilted her head, watching Christien with the math sheet. “What kinda math is that?” She asked him. 

Christien looked up. “Algebra…” He raised an eyebrow. “They don’t teach it where you live?” 

“Nope. We know how to do basic maths and basic reading, but that’s about it. But I know how to read better than most of the kids there.” 

“We’ll get that fixed right away then. You have to go to school, too.” Espa announced after a moment. “I’ll put in a call to the school where Christien gets his assignments from and get you set up with the same deal he and Jonathan have.” 

Victoria blinked and looked over at Espa. “You don’t have to go that far… this was only a temporary set up, remember?” 

“As long as you’re living with me, you’ll be going to school.” Espa said firmly before turning to go into his office. He heard his brothers start talking to Victoria about how exciting school was, and how much fun she’d have. The girl didn’t seem to agree, though she didn’t outright say so. Espa shrugged to himself. She would either abide by his rules or go back to the home. 

* * *

Christien was relieved when, an hour later, he finally finished the last of his homework. He set it in the box that was indicated for his and Jonathan’s homework and classwork to be sent out then went in search of Victoria. He found her near the back of the carnival playing a game of freeze tag with the littles. Ej was on her team, and was nestled contently in her arms. “Hey.” 

“Hey.” She said quietly. She set the baby down in a mound of sand. “You guys play nicely…” She told his younger brothers. 

“You’re a natural with them.” Christien said. 

“I’ve had a lot of practice.” She replied. Victoria folded her arms. “So… your brother thinks this is long term.” 

“I’m kinda hoping it is. I really like you.” Christien said. He smiled brightly. “You’re going to like it here once you get used to things. We may not even be living out here if Espa has his way. He wants to move back into our house.” 

“He doesn’t have to change his way of living for me. I’m not worth it.” 

Christien bit his bottom lip. “Maybe Espa doesn’t agree with you.” He said quietly. “I don’t.” He settled down on the grass and patted a spot next to him. Christien was pleased when she sat down next to him. “You don’t have to worry about rejection around here.” 

“Why do you care so much?” Victoria asked. She didn’t look at him, her eyes still trained on watching his youngest brothers. 

“Maybe I know what’s it like to not really have anyone.” Christien suggested. “I mean, sure I’ve got my brothers, but no friends of my own. All of my friends are proxy from being friends with Jonathan, or Espa.” 

Victoria turned to face him then. “You’re lucky to have your brother Espa. I didn’t have anyone to explain what was happening to me. In fact, my parents downright refused to hear me on it. Half the time, I don’t know what I’m doing. One minute I’d be arguing with her, the next I’m eating Mom’s most expensive chocolates. That’s how it went at every foster home, too. Whatever it is I wanted to do, they just let me do, then they’d claim to Rex that I forced them into it. I wouldn’t have any clue what they were talking about.” 

”That’s called Suggestion. Its a pretty powerful thing to have access to. I have it, too.” He touched her shoulder. “You should let Espa help. He may come off brash, but he’s really a good person.” 

Victoria didn’t reply for a long time. Instead she got interested in plucking at her shirt. “Its too warm for this shirt if I’m running around this place.” She said finally. 

“I’m sure Meghan will be bringing some stuff by eventually.” Christien tried to sooth. He decided that he would try and get her to talk to Espa again in a bit. Right now, she was talking to him, and that was important. “You know… Espa might decide to keep you on, even after your community service.” 

“Why would he do that? He doesn’t like me.” 

Christien sighed. “Don’t take it too personally. Espa has a lot of trust issues in general. Really, we all do. But I think it hits Espa even more so because of what our mother did.” Christien wouldn’t elaborate on their mother. Victoria wasn’t close enough to the family as of yet. He glanced up hearing familiar voices. A glance back confirmed his suspicions. “Oh. Speak of the devil!” He got up and reached out a hand to help Victoria up. “Come on, Rex is here with Meghan. It looks like Weevil came with him.” He was sure that Kendra wasn’t far behind which would make his brother Jonathan happy. They had become close friends before the Robas moved to the carnival to take it over. 

“Come on, guys.” Victoria said as she took Christien hand and stood. “Thanks.” She said quietly. 

“No problem.” Christien watched the younger kids run ahead of them to greet Rex and Weevil and their sisters. Christien walked back slowly with Victoria. “Rex and Weevil have been family friends of ours for a long time.” He explained. 

“Oh.” Victoria stood closer to Christien when they reached the group. “Hey,Rex.” 

“Hey. You behaving yourself?” Rex asked her. 

“She’s been amazing.” Espa said, coming forward. “I think we’ve made a good find here, Rex.” 

Victoria blinked apparently unaccustomed to the compliments. “I’m just doing what I’m asked to do, like we talked about.” 

“And doing a great job at it, too.” Espa insisted. “Victoria, have you met Weevil before?” 

“Once, I think…” Victoria was still hanging near Christien. “Nice to meet you, though.” She added. 

“Hey, I remember you…” Kendra’s voice said suddenly. She and Meghan came out of the trailer. “Last time I saw you, you were picking up trash.” 

“Kendra!” Weevil admonished. “That’s not nice.” 

“What, I was stating facts.” 

Christien reached out and caught Victoria by the wrist as she started to leave. “Stay with me?” He said to her softly. He was only a little surprised when she didn’t resist him. “You might show a little tact, Kendra.” He added. 

“Alright, alright. I don’t want any arguments.” Espa broke in then. “Victoria, why don’t you go in with Meghan and see what fits?” 

“It will be okay.” Christien said quietly. “I’ll be right out here when you’re done.” He ignored the warning look Espa was giving him, and patted Victoria on the shoulder. “It’ll be fine, really.” 

Meghan wandered over. “Ignore my friend over there. She doesn’t always filter herself. Come on, we’ll just make this quick so Christien over here doesn’t freak.” 

Victoria hesitated for a little longer before she followed Meghan with a deep sigh. “I’ll be back.” She tossed to Christien as she went. 

As soon as the door closed behind Meghan, Christien sighed and then turned to Kendra. “You can’t say things like that to her. She’s been bullied like crazy at the orphanage.” 

“I swear I wasn’t trying to be mean.” Kendra said defensively. “She has to be a little more thick skinned than that!” 

“Hey, be nice.” Jonathan said. He came over and Christien was shocked when the two shared one very long kiss. “Besides, I think Christien might have a thing for her.” 

Christien blinked, then he felt his face grow very warm when he realized that Jonathan was probably right. “M-maybe!” He sputtered. “But it might be too early for her… and even if she did like me….I doubt she’d admit it right now. She’s got too many trust issues.” 

Espa let out a groan. “Just… don’t do anything too suddenly. We don’t know how she’d react to something that big.” He turned to Rex then. “I finished the paperwork. Do you want me to just give it to you so I can save a stamp?” 

“Sounds fine to me.” Rex said. “How was opening day, stowaways aside?” 

“It was good. Having that opening free day for the orphanage was a good idea. We still got a huge take on concessions and stuff.” 

They all looked up at Victoria and Meghan came back out. Victoria had changed into a pair of capris and a soft pink top. She had brushed out her hair and put it into a haphazard ponytail. She wandered back over to him, and smiled. “Do you like it?” She asked Christien after a moment. 

“Yeah.” Christien said. “It..um… suits you.” He smiled brightly. “Is it a lot cooler than what you were wearing?” 

“Yeah. I can finally breathe again.” Victoria said. She turned to Rex and Meghan. “Thank you both for this.” 

“Not a problem.” Meghan said. 

“Oh! I knew there was something I wanted to run by you guys.” Kendra said suddenly. “Guys, they’re holding auditions for a new production at the community theater. You should totally come stay with the Kaibas this summer and do it.” 

Christien grinned. “You sure about that, Kenny?” 

Of course I am. Besides…. it’s not the same without you guys around.” 

Christien just shook his head. “Carnival season, though. We’re going to be needed here.” He stole a glance at Victoria, who had wandered over to the lone picnic bench and was sitting quietly. “We have a lot going on here right now.” He added. 

“She could come, too.” Kendra said. “Maybe she’d like to audition.” 

“No… my voice is only for me.” Victoria said just loud enough to be heard. “Besides, I’m only here to serve my sentence. Then it’s back to the orphanage. Better I don’t get involved.” And then she stood and went into their trailer, presumably to check on the littles. 

“Didn’t you tell her?” Rex asked Espa. 

“We tried. She doesn’t believe us.” Espa said. “I’m hoping that over time she will trust me. Right now we’re lucky she talks so much to Christien.” 

“Yes. He’s the first person outside of myself I’ve ever seen her interact with so well. They might be good for each other.” Rex said. “Give her time, Espa. It took almost 3 years for me to build any kind of relationship with her.” 

Victoria came back out before anyone else could say something else. “They’re still napping.” SHe told them quietly. 

”That’s good.” Espa said. “Do you want to go with them to check into this play?” He asked her. 

“I don’t think I better…” Victoria said slowly. 

Christien moved over to her, and gently took her hand in his. “I’d like you to come with me. Even if you don’t audition. Espa won’t mind, really.” 

“Why are you so concerned about me? You’d be with your other friends…” 

Christien shook his head, and squeezed her hand. “You’re my friend now, too. It’s time to show you that not everyone is like those kids you’re used to being around.” 

Victoria studied him, and Christien got the idea she was trying to decide how sincere he was. “Alright. I’ll go, but I’m not going to audition. My voice… it’s for me. And it’s probably not the best anyway.” 

“Fair enough.” Christien grinned brightly. “Espa, thanks for letting us borrow her for the weekend.” He told his brother then. 

“Heh. Hey, she’s as good as family now. Might as well treat her as such.” Espa said the words to Christien, but he was looking at Victoria. 

Victoria just shook her head. “I don’t know what to say…” 

“Don’t say anything.” Espa said. “It’s alright, really.” He was smiling now, himself. Then he turned back to Rex. “I’ll need to see if I can get some help moving back into the house. I’m sure your people would really prefer it that way, anyway.” 

“They’ve been keeping an eye on things.” Rex admitted. “With Victoria in the mix now, they probably would like to see you guys in a bigger living space, yeah.” 

“Then it’s settled. We’ll get Wheeler down here to help this weekend, while the kids are in Domino.” Weevil decided. 

Christien ventured to put a hand on Victoria’s shoulder. His new friend was still looking stunned about everything that happened. “You okay?” He asked as he moved closer to her. 

“I… I need a few minutes…” Victoria said suddenly. She pulled away from him. “Come find me when the little guys get up.” She took off and Christien couldn’t help but think about what a great asset she would’ve been on Jonathan’s soccer team with that kind of speed. 

“Let her be.” Rex suggested. “I know Victoria. This whole new change in routine has to be going at her nerves by now.” He sighed softly. “I wish she would have let me take her in when I had offered early on. She… just doesn’t like to get close to anyone.” 

“I intend to change her mind eventually.” Christien said softly. 

“I don’t doubt it. If anyone can do it, it will be you.” He turned to Meghan. “Weevil and I have some errands to run before we make the trek back. Do you want to stay here?” 

“Yeah. Maybe I’ll try and make friends with Victoria, too.” 

“That’s a good idea.” Christien said. “We’ll see you guys in a bit then, Rex.” 

“Yeah.” Rex and Weevil got into their separate cars and after a moment, the two were gone again leaving Kendra and Meghan in their wake. 

“How long should I leave her to simmer, Espa?” Christien wanted to be a good friend to Victoria, but he was still uncertain of exactly what he was going to do to reach her. 

“Give it another five minutes before you try and talk to her again. In the meantime, Jonathan, can you go and see to the littles for me? I don’t feel right pressuring her right now.” 

“Sure, Bro.” Jonathan turned to Kendra. “Want to come with me?” 

“Heh. Sure.” Kendra turned to Meghan. “Coming with me, or going to go help him?” She nodded towards Christien. 

“I’ll go with you guys for now. I think Victoria probably only needs one of us.” Meghan decided. She turned to Christien then. “Good luck, Chris.” 

“Thanks.”


	6. Chapter 6

Victoria didn’t stop walking until she was far enough that she could neither see or hear the Robas and their friends. She found herself back at the House of Mirrors. Seeing that it was vacant, she climbed into the entrance and carefully put the out of order sign out. She didn’t want to be bothered for a while. When she was inside, she found her way to a hidden part towards the back of hte structure where she wouldn’t be so easily seen by anyone. 

She sank the metal floor and buried her face in her knees, feeling her breathing coming in sharp, irregular bursts. I can’t get attached. I can’t let them suck me in. Did that before. But...oh I really like Christien. She shook her head. Victoria knew better than to get attached to anyone. Christien was nice now, but he wouldn’t be forever. He’d lose interest in her, juust like Espa would. Maybe she’d end up moving in with Rex after her punishment was over. 

And what had she been thinking, agreeing to go with them when she knew full well that she wasn’t supposed to be making friends? Christien Roba definitely had an interesting effect on her. At the thought of the middle Roba, his picture came unbidden to her mind. She smiled despite herself. He was so sweet, and gentle, and kind. And protective. She’d never had anyone to stick up for her before. She started hearing someone on the stairs. Couldn’t people read the sign? 

“I can read just fine. That’s how I knew you were here.” Christien’s quiet voice answered her thoughts. “Sorry for the intrusion. I just… wanted to check on you.” He moved to sit next to her without waiting to be asked. 

Victoria was surprised when she didn’t move away from him. In fact, she was happy to see him. “You read minds, too?” She asked quietly. 

“Only in extreme cases when my friend worries me.” Christien said. “It’s a part of the whole ESP thing.” He looked over at her. “So… what are you so afraid of?” 

“So many things.” Victoria admitted quietly. She looked away from him, trying to forget about how gentle and kind he was being. There was always a catch. People were never nice just to be nice. 

She felt his hand slip into hers and squeeze it. “Tell me.” He said quietly. “I won’t judge.” 

“I don’t want this to be temporary… I don’t want to feel anything towards you guys because every time I do, something goes wrong. This goes double for you….” She said finally. 

“You think Espa will regret what he did in taking you in? He won’t. Our family lived in homeless shelters before. My brothers and I were basically orphaned. If anything, we understand you better than anyone else might, including your friend Rex.” 

“He’s my social worker. I don’t make the mistake of confusing the two things. I’m just another job for him.” Victoria said. 

“I don’t think Rex feels that way about you.” Christien said. “He pulled strings to make this happen.” He reached out and turned her face to look at him. His eyes were soft and sympathetic. “You don’t have to be afraid of losing me, Tori. I won’t go anywhere.” 

Victoria didn't flinch at his touch. It was weird for her. She swallowed hard. “I...I want to trust you. I really do…” As she spoke the words, Victoria realized how much she meant them. “I… think I really like you, and that makes me more nervous…” 

Christien smiled, and then took her hand in his again. “I like you, too. That’s why I was worried when you took off. See, that’s what best friends are for. They look out for each other, and when one is afraid, the other protects them from whatever is scaring them.” 

“I don’t think you can protect me from...this. I was sent back twice, Christien. People didn’t know how to deal with me.” 

“Those people weren’t me and my brothers.” Christien argued without raising his voice. “Did you know that I don’t talk to people outside of immediate family, and friends of the family that have been around for years? You’re the first outsider ever that’s gotten my attention enough to make me want to talk.” 

“How come?” Victoria asked. She was genuinely curious. 

“I think for me… it was something I could control. My brother Espa wouldn’t let me runaway, or have candy for breakfast when he became head of the household. I couldn’t make Mom come back, and I sure as hell couldn’t stop social services from trying to adopt out Ej. It was...my way of rebelling I guess, and once things were back to normal… well, as normal as they would ever be for us… I just didn’t know how to interact with anyone. See, the people at the home wouldn’t adopt someone who wouldn’t talk.” 

“Maybe I should try that instead.” Victoria mused. “At least it would spare people the aggravation.” 

“Rex and Weevil are going to be back soon, and then we’re all going to drive down to Domino for the weekend. Do you think you might want to come back up to the trailer to help Espa get the little guys ready?” 

Victoria nodded quietly. “Espa is expecting me to keep up with them.” She stood. Christien followed suit. “We're….Not a thing, right? I don't know if I can handle that right now.” 

Christien smiled brightly. “We don’t have to be anything more than friends.” He told her grandly. He stood then, and held out a hand to her. “But you should know, I will always be here to protect you from anything that scares you.” 

Victoria rewarded that with a smile, and let him help her up. She rather liked Christien Roba, and she wasn’t sure, but she swore that when he smiled like that, her stomach did flip flops. “I’m okay with that.” She told him softly. 

“Good.” Christien said. He carefully led her down the back staircase of the House of Mirrors and then turned to face her,. Taking her hands in his gently. “I know it’s only been a couple of days that we’ve known each other, and I’m probably crazy for saying this to you, but. I love you, Victoria. It doesn’t mean we have to go out or anything. I don’t want you to feel pressured into that. I just wanted to tell you.” 

Victoria studied him, letting the words he spoke sink in. They didn’t make sense. No one could love someone that quickly. Christien couldn’t be serious. “Thanks…” She said finally. “I… really don’t know what else to say..” 

“You don’t have to say anything.” Christien said. He glanced up as Andrew and Ej came running over. “Hey guys.” He greeted his younger brothers. 

“Tori, we’re going to see our friends in Domino! You coming, too?” Andrew asked. He put his hand in Tori’s. It was still a little sticky from his earlier cotton candy snack. 

“I am. Let’s go get you guys cleaned up before we go.” Victoria let Ej take her other hand and then they all walked the rest of the way to the family trailer. She was glad to have a momentary distraction from Christien’s announcement. 

“I’m glad you’re living with us, Tori.” Andrew said. 

“Thanks.” Victoria said, giving the five-year-old a big smile. “LEts go get you unsticky so we can go. We want to be ready before Rex and Weevil come back!” 

“Can you sing to us?” Andrew asked. 

“Not right now.” Now that the Robas knew about her voice, she would have to be even more careful about where and when she sang. Certainly not right now with the three elder Robas around. She expertly cleaned up Andrew’s sticky fingers then checked Ej’s diaper and put him into different, cleaner clothes. She was just finished packing the diaper bag when she heard the cars pull up. Suddenly a bundle of nerves overtook her, and she sat down hard in the nearest chair. 

“Tori!” Andrew moved over to the chair. “Espa, Christien!” He called out. If he had been older than five, Victoria would have tried to prevent him from getting the others involved, but she couldn’t. 

“What’s…?” Espa began, but then he glanced at her. “Victoria. Are you alright? You don’t look...well….” 

Victoria clamped her mouth shut, trying to focus on pushing the nausea down. She eventually whimpered as the pain increased. “Sorry..” She managed as the screen door open and shut again. 

Vaguely, she heard Rex say something to Espa. Then Rex was standing in front of her. “Hey. Come and take a walk with me, alright?” He said, pulling her up by the sleeve of her hoodie. Before Victoria had the chance to say anything (if she was going to), Rex had taken her outside. “You need to take your medicine.” He said. That’s when Victoria noticed the bottled water and pill bottle. “What are you freaking out for, anyway? You’ve been to Mokuba’s plenty of times on those sanctioned play dates.” 

“This is different. It’s...it’s different.” Victoria couldn’t really be reasonable right now. She didn’t understand what was actually freaking her out. “Christien told me he loved me.” 

“Big deal. Friends can love each other. It’s not a big deal, Tori.” Rex stopped them beside Weevil’s familiar beetle car. “I know this is going to be a rough adjustment for you. That’s why I told Espa I’d be making more visits for a while to make sure things are transitioning smoothly for you.” 

“Rex, I don’t want to mess this up…” Victoria said quietly. She looked at the ground. Then she felt Rex reach over and tilt her chin up to look at him. “I like the Robas.” 

“They like you, too. You won’t screw anything up, I promise.” He gave her pills, and the water. “I had it refilled yesterday evening. So you should be good to go.” He said. Rex straightened as the Robas started to file out of their trailer. “We’re on your team, Tori. I’ve been on your team since you were about four.” Rex said. “And if you tell anyone how nice I was, I’ll deny it.” He smirked. 

“You would.” Now Victoria was smiling. “Thanks, Rex. Really, for everything you’ve done for me.” 

“Eh. Don’t mention it. Ever.” Rex replied patting her on the back before he turned to face the group. “We’re all good here.” He announced lightly to Espa and Christien who looked the most worried. 

“Victoria, I’ve gotten in contact with my Uncle Cale Roba. He is going to meet us in Domino. I’d really like you to see him.” Espa said quietly. “He’s a psychiatrist. He’d probably be able to help you sort through most of your issues.” 

Victoria didn’t want to see a psychiatrist. She wasn’t crazy. She glanced at Rex. He arched an eyebrow at her, as if to say she should know who he’d side with. With a deep sigh, she nodded to Espa. “Okay.” She offered Christien a smile as he wandered over to her. “Hey. Sorry if I worried you.” 

~Don’t worry about it. We know you’re going to have a rough go of it for awhile. That’s why Espa enlisted Uncle Cale’s help.~ His words entered her mind lightly, like a pleasant breeze. Aloud, he told Espa that he wanted to sit next to her on the way to the city. Then they were piling into an old van. “Here, let me give you a hand.” Christien said quietly when she faltered on the step leading in. He climbed in ahead of her and held his hand out to her. He helped her into the van, and then sat back down. She sat in the seat next to him, just behind the two seats with the car seats for Andrew and Ej. 

“Hey, Rex wants to know if you took your pill.” Jonathan called back to her from the passenger seat. “He says he’s not leaving until you do.” 

“I took it.” Victoria said quietly. She heard Jonathan give Rex the answer, and then all the doors closed. Suddenly, she was alone in a very closed space with five boys. She felt Christien gently snake his hand into hers and squeeze it. She squeezed his back, beginning her deep breathing. 

~Relax. You’re safe with us.~ Christien sent to her. There was a curious feeling in her head that hadn’t been there the first time he’d used telepathy with her. She let out a sigh, her body relaxing as the van pulled away from the carnival. She turned to glance at Christien. ~Did you….?~ 

~Of course not! I wouldn’t do that to you.~ Christien looked offended for a moment, then paused. ~Has… someone tried to control you before?~ 

Victoria shook her head, withdrawing her hand from his. She turned to face the other window, chewing her lower lip. She wasn’t ready to give out that kind of information to anyone. Even Rex didn’t know some things, and she intended to keep it that way for as long as she could. The dirt road turned into smooth asphalt. 

“Hey.” Christien took her hand again. “You can tell me. I promise I won’t tell anyone.” 

Victoria knew better than that. No one would keep this secret for her. And the person responsible for her trust issues would know right away that she had said something. She shook her head. ~I can’t. I’m sorry.~ 

Christien scowled, but didn’t press her to change her mind. Instead, he got into a conversation with Jonathan as the ride continued. She listened with half interest as they talked about the friends they wanted to visit while they were in Domino. Jonathan then pulled up the details of the production to be done. “Ooh, The Phantom of the Opera. I’ve always wanted to see that one.” Christien said. He turned to Victoria then. “Hey, I know you said you wouldn’t audition… but have you ever heard of this one?” 

“Yeah. It’s a beautiful production. Christine Daae is one of my favorite theatrical characters of all time. The original person who played her has an amazing voice, too.” 

“I think I’ve heard of her, too.” Jonathan commented. “Well, if you change your mind about that audition, you know we’d love to have you join us on the production, assuming we all get roles in the first place.” 

Victoria fell silent again, her mind full of the possibility of allowing others to hear her voice. She would have to ask her unknown friend if it would be alright. The ride turned silent, too, allowing her too much room to think. At length, she turned to Christien. “You’re going to audition for this play?” She asked him. 

“I’ve been thinking about it… I don’t know how good my voice is, either. I’ll probably end up with some side part.” “I doubt that.” Espa said from the driver’s seat. “You’ve got Mom’s genes.” 

“Don’t remind me.” Christien muttered. He crossed his arms and scowled out the window. “You’re lucky you don’t have much memory of your mother, Victoria.” 

“No, I think you’re lucky you had her at all.” Victoria said. She sighed softly and rested her head against the back of the headrest again and closed her eyes. She was just falling into a light sleep when the voice jolted her. 

“Your voice belongs to me, song bird. Don’t forget it. Perform if you will, but you’re still mine.” 

Victoria snapped her head up. She shivered as she took a look around the van. It was still moving, and the Robas, for the most part, looked as though they hadn’t heard anything. She was thankful. “Go away.” She whispered, hoping no one heard her. 

“Tori? Are you okay?” Christien was staring at her now, an eyebrow cocked. “Can’t exactly go away in a moving vehicle…” 

“Oh… um….” Victoria sighed softly. She looked back towards the window. “Nothing… I’m fine…” She said. 

“If you say so.” Christien didn’t sound like he believed her. “Espa, are we taking the short way?” 

“Yeah. We’ll be there in about 30 minutes. Why don’t you guys relax a bit. Victoria, you too.” 

“Okay.” Victoria closed her eyes again, silently praying that the mysterious voice would stay away. Soon, there was nothing in her ears except the road.


End file.
